Westview Veterinary Hospital adds surgery clinic
FREMONT - Dozens of visitors had the chance to get a firsthand view of Westview Veterinary Hospital’s new surgery addition and renovated equine building during an open house on Sunday. The expansion and improvements at the facility show it has come a long way since Dr. Keith Hull first opened the hospital in 1960.
“He built the building in 1962. Before that, he worked out of his garage and on his kitchen table,” said Westview’s current owner, Dr. Ryan Zimmerman, DVM.
Zimmerman took over practice in 2010
By the time Zimmerman joined the practice as a partner in 2005, Hull had built Westview into a reputable hospital where generations of local residents brought their small and large pets to receive trusted and compassionate care. Zimmerman became sole owner in 2010, and this year, he brought Westview into a new era of animal healthcare.
Boarding kennels were replaced with a new two-bed surgery center for small animals.
“We ended boarding and turned the area into a surgery,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman and Dr. Maddie Kuieck, DVM, perform many different types of surgeries, including spay and neuter, lumpectomy, ACL repair, fracture repair, and more. Other small animal services include wellness checks, preventative care, dental care, laboratory diagnostics, diagnostic radiographs, laser therapy, microchipping, nutrition and weight management, and cryosurgery.
The equine center was renovated to create more space for horse care and hospitalizations. Dr. Holly Phillips, DVM, focuses solely on equine care at Westview. She grew up around horses just five minutes away from the hospital, and she has known Zimmerman since he began caring for her family’s horses when she was just 4 years old.
Making a career of horse care was an easy decision for Phillips.
“I pretty much grew up with horses, and I wanted to do something in medicine, so this was a natural path,” she said. “I love the horse stuff, and I felt I could relate to it. I understand what our clients’ goals are because I lived it.”
Phillips offers many surgical services at Westview, including castration, cryptorchid castration, umbilical hernia repair, enucleation, wound care and tooth removal. Other equine services include vaccinations, health certificates, reproductive services, lameness care and internal medicine. The horse stalls are equipped with IV capability.
'Having a dedicated area for just for horses is great'
“Having a dedicated area just for horses is great,” Zimmerman said. “By creating this facility, we’ve made it safer for our clients and can offer better services.”
Zimmerman said a very small percentage of veterinary school graduates decide to focus on equine care. When Phillips chose to join Westview, she brought an extraordinary opportunity to local horse owners to have care close to home.
“In this area, there’s her and that’s it,” Zimmerman said. “She’s the only veterinarian focusing on horses within an hour’s radius.”
During the open house, Zimmerman spoke fondly of Hull, whose early work created the foundation for the state-of-the-art animal hospital that Zimmerman now runs. Zimmerman said the growth of the business was dependent on his staff.
“Calling them support staff doesn’t do them justice. I always say you don’t work at Westview. You are Westview. All of them contributed to the growth,” he said.
Westview Veterinary Hospital is at 3032 Napoleon Road. For more information, visit westviewvethospital.com or call 419-332-5871.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Westview Veterinary Hospital turns kennel area into surgery clinic
